Tubular luminaire



- Sept. 6, 1955 A. M. BJONTEGARD TUBULAR LUMINAIRE Filed Aug. 18, 1950 Inventor: Arthur M. B) ontegard, b

His Attorney.

United States Patent TUBULAR LUMINAIRE Arthur M. Bjontegard, Marblehcad, Mass., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application August 1a, 1950, serial No. 180,220

2 Claims. c1. ate-51.11

My invention relates to elongated tubular luminaires, and particularly to luminaires of the fluorescent type comprising an elongated cylindrical reflector and cooperating transparent cover plate.

The invention has for its principal object the provision of new and novel means for hingedly mounting such a cover plate to permit ready and convenient access to the interior of the luminaire for relamping.

In carrying out my invention in one form, I provide a fixed luminaire base including an elongated cylindrical reflector having a pair of parallel spaced-apart edges defining therebetween an open reflector mouth. Each edge of the reflector is provided with a longitudinal slot or groove having a substantially circular cross section. The groove on one side of the reflector is shallow, and the groove on the other side is undercut and provided with a side opening narrower than the diameter of the groove. Within this undercut groove, there is hingedly mounted an elongated transparent cover having integral cylindrical beads formed on opposite longitudinal edges thereof, one of the cylindrical beads being positioned in the undercut reflector groove. The head on the other edge of the cover is of substantially the same surface configuration as and is arranged to lie in the shallow groove on the opposite edge of the reflector, so that the cover closes the open mouth of the reflector. One or more latches are provided for holding the free edge of the cover in closed position. The transparent cover is thus hingedly mounted directly upon the reflector by means of its integral beaded edge, and the opposite edge of the cover is swingable toward and away from the reflector to permit access to the interior of the luminaire.

My invention will be more fully understood and its various objects and advantages further appreciated by referring now to the following detailed specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a luminaire embodying my invention; and Fig. 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing, I have there illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention in an elongated fluorescent luminaire adapted for tunnel mounting and the like. The luminaire illustrated at Fig. 1 comprises a base plate 1 having fixed thereto a receptacle 2 containing a control transformer 3. At one side of the receptacle 2 there is fixed an end plate 4 disposed in parallel spaced relation with respect to a second end plate 5 which is fixed directly to the base plate 1. The end plates 4 and 5 are slotted, as at 4a and 5a, respectively, to re ceive in interlocking relation the ends of a rigid tubular reflector 6 which is fixed in the end plates by bolts 7 and 8. The end plates 4 and 5 are also provided opposite the reflector 6 with inwardly extending flanges 4b and 5b, respectively, which provide seating surfaces for a transparent cover plate 9. A pair of lamp sockets 10 and 11 are mounted upon the opposed inner surfaces of 2 v r the end plates 4 and 5, respectively, and are adapted to receive therebetween an elongated fluorescent lamp 12.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 2; it will be observed that the reflector 6 which forms a part of the fixed portion of the luminaire, is provided internally with two intersecting cylindrical surfaces 6a and 6b terminating in a pair of oppositely disposed longitudinal edges 6c and 6d, respectively. The reflector edges 6a, and 6b define therebetween an open reflector mouth closed byrthe movable cover plate 9. Preferably the reflector is a rigid section of metal formed by extrusion or by machining. The reflector edge 6c is provided with an undercut longitudinal slot 6e of circular cross-section and having a side opening narrower than the diameter of the slot, The opposite reflector edge 6d is providedwith a, shallow glongitudinal groove 6f. V

The transparent cover plate 9 is shown as having a substantially circular cylindrical cross-sectional configuration. The spaced longitudinal edges ofthe cover 9 are provided with cylindrical beads 9a and 9b. The cover 9 is hingedly mounted upon the reflector 6 and arranged removably to cover the open reflector mouth. For this purpose the cylindrical bead 9a is disposed within the circular longitudinal slot 6e in the reflector, and the cylindrical bead 9b is arranged to lie within the slot or groove 6) when the cover is closed. Since the reflector slot 6e is undercut, the cover bead 9a cannot be moved laterally out of the slot and, therefore, serves as a hinge pin around which the cover 9 may be swung to an open position, as indicated by the fragmentary cover portion shown in dotted lines at Fig. 2.

In order to hold the cover 9 in closed position with the bead 9b lying in the slot 6;, I provide a spring latch 13 which is pivotally mounted upon the fixed reflector at 14 and provided with a spring nib 15 arranged to fit under the cover bead 9b. The latch 13 is shown in dotted lines as being in its released position.

It will be understood, of course, by those skilled in the art that the transparent cover plate 9 may be formed of any suitable clear or translucent light transmitting material. For example, the cover may be formed of a clear or diflusing glass or of any suitable transparent plastic material. It will further be understood by those skilled in the art that, while I have shown by way of illustration a substantially circular cylindrical cover plate, such plate may have any desired cross-sectional configuration, either flat or arcuate.

Thus, while I have shown and described only a preferred embodiment of my invention by way of illustration, many modification will occur to those skilled in the art What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a luminaire, an elongated reflector having a pair of parallel spaced-apart edges defining therebetween an open reflector mouth, each edge of said reflector being provided with a longitudinal slot and the slot in one of said edges being open and shallow and the slot in the other of said edges being circular in cross section and undercut to provide a side opening narrower than its diameter, and an elongated transparent cover having integrally formed on opposite edges thereof parallel beads spaced from one another by the spacing of said slots in said reflector edges, one of said beads having substantially the same surface configuration as said open slot in said One of said reflector edges and the other of said beads having substantially the same circular cross section as said undercut slot in said other of said reflector edges and being disposed in said undercut slot thereby hingedly to mount said cover for opening movement from its closed position in which its said one bead is seated in said shallow open slot of said reflector edge to close said reflector mouth.

2. In an elongated fluorescent luminaire, an elongated cylindrical reflector having a pair of parallel spacedapart edges defining therebetween an open reflector mouth, each'edge of said reflector being provided with a longitudinal slot of substantially circular cross section and the slot in one of said edges being open and shallow and the slot in the other of said edges being undercut to provide a side opening narrower than its diameter, and an elongated transparent cylindrical cover having integrally formed on opposite edges thereof parallel cylindrical beads spaced from one another by the spacing of said slots in said reflector edges, said beads respectively having substantially the same circular cross section as said slots in said reflector edges and one of said beads being disposed in said undercut slot in said other reflector edge thereby hingedly to mount said cover for opening movement from its closed position in which its said other bead is seated in said shallow open slot of said one reflector edge to close said reflector mouth.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lehman June 5, Clark Nov. 10, Stahl Nov. 15, Gelardin July 15, Claspy J an. 6, Phillips ,June 23,. Benson Nov. 24, Schreyer et al.- Nov. 9, Shepmoes Oct. 10, Arenberg et a1. Dec. 12, Ferrell Mar. 27, Arenberg et a1 Mar. 4, 

